James Patterson's Women's Murder Club Series

If you’re like the millions of people who have loved James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series, you’re probably feverishly counting down the days until his new book, The 17th Suspect, drops on April 30, 2018.

But what to do while you wait for the newest trials, tribulations, and tragedies of Lindsay Boxer and her friends Cindy, Claire, and Yuki? Well, count your blessings because there are still 16 Women's Murder Club books for you to read (and re-read) to get you excited about their newest adventure.

First impressions are the most important, and this novel proves the rule. Lindsay begins the novel depressed and in pain, suffering from a rare disease. However, she tries to keep it together long enough to catch a killer that is murdering newlyweds. Along the way she meets and befriends Cindy Thomas, a crime reporter, Claire Washburn, a medical examiner, and Assistant DA Jill Bernhardt. Together, can they catch the killer?

Police officers and their families aren’t safe as a killer begins to viciously stalk and murder them. Lindsay appeals to an incarcerated murderer for help, but it’s only with the assistance of her friends that she can catch the killer before they strike again.

An explosion rocks a sleepy San Francisco street and an unknown woman flees the scene with an infant, leaving three dead bodies in her wake. As more murders and a string of bizarre messages begin to surface, Lindsay must figure out how this all connects—while mourning the loss of a beloved friend.

After a high-speed chase with some teenagers ends in fatalities, Lindsay finds herself on trial for police brutality. She retreats to her sister’s house on Half Moon Bay only to find herself embroiled in a recent spate of murders that seem eerily familiar.

Just as patients at the San Francisco Municipal Hospital are about to be discharged with a clean bill of health, they find themselves gasping for air and—moments later—dead. Is it the result of hospital negligence or something more sinister? With the newest member of the Women’s Murder Club’s mother on the line, the women are determined to solve this crime.

Gunfire shatters the Women’s Murder Club’s lives as one of their own struggles to survive. Meanwhile, Lindsay works furiously to track down a serial kidnapper, hoping that she can bring the missing children home safely.

When Yuki begins dating reporter Jason Twilly, she thinks it’ll be a fun little fling, nothing more. As time passes, he becomes increasingly creepy, even going so far as to claim information about a famous cold case. Is he messing with her? Is he the killer? And can Lindsay figure it out before another friend gets hurt?

Cindy comes across the freshly murdered body of a preacher but no one, not even the SFPD, wants to solve the case once a string of high-profile murders happens. Cindy won’t give up, and she’ll get the scoop, even if she has to go toe-to-toe with Lindsay’s partner Rich.

Shocking twists and turns fill this installment of the Women’s Murder Club. A killer is targeting unsuspecting mothers and their children when they venture out alone while a movie star’s wife comes across a cat burglar with deadly consequences. Lindsay and her team would be able to solve this—if it weren’t for the intense and not entirely unwelcomed feelings she’s developed towards her partner.

Just as Lindsay thinks she can enjoy her much-anticipated marriage to Joe, vicious crimes and professional disputes threaten her marital bliss and friendship. First, she is tasked with solving the crime of a badly injured teenage girl and her missing child. Then, she comes into conflict with Yuki when she thinks the woman Yuki is trying to prosecute is innocent. Finally, her new boss is making life even more stressful. Can’t she ever catch a break?

Millionaire Chaz Smith is gunned down—by the same weapon that took the lives of four famous local criminals. The gun itself was pulled from Lindsay’s department’s evidence locker. Coincidence? Frame-up? Or cold-blooded betrayal?

The birth of Lindsay’s baby should be a joyous occasion—but life has never been easy for Lindsay Boxer. The SFPD needs her to help locate a missing body, but her newborn’s terrifying health complications demand her attention too. She finds herself pulled between two worlds and relying on her friends more than ever.

A killer emerges from Lindsay’s past, set on gaining her revenge, but Lindsay doesn’t have time to deal with that while trying to care for her newborn and catch a sadistic killer. That won’t stop Mackie Morales, the beautiful killer the Women’s Murder Club could never catch, from trying to deal with her.

Just when Lindsay thinks her life is perfect—she’s got the husband, the baby, and the best friends—she finds herself embroiled in a shocking situation. A group of individuals dressed as SFPD officers known as the “Windbreaker Cops” have begun committing a series of robberies and murders, undermining the public’s—and the department’s—trust. Only by catching them can she clear the department’s name.

Domestic bliss is on the menu for Lindsay until a sudden and perplexing murder has her questioning her husband’s loyalty, fidelity, and even identity. More than ever, she has to lean on Cindy, Claire, and Yuki to solve this mystery.

As Lindsay and her beau Joe try to get their life back together, a cunning criminal works to undermine her credibility. Even when she and the rest of the San Francisco Police Department think they’ve got their culprit red-handed, he manages to wriggle away. The question is: will they get the perpetrators behind bars before or after she loses her life?

In The 17th Suspect, Cindy comes across the freshly murdered body of a preacher but no one, not even the SFPD, wants to solve the case once a string of high-profile murders happens. Cindy won’t give up, and she’ll get the scoop, even if she has to go toe-to-toe with Lindsay’s partner Rich.

Personally, I recommend reading the Women's Murder Club series right from the beginning with 1st to Die. I love seeing how the women first meet, and their first case is a doozy (though re-reading Jill is bittersweet). However, you can also pick and choose based on what you’re feeling like. Want to read about one of Lindsay’s more personally taxing cases when she was placed on trial for police brutality? Try 4th of July. Want to explore the women’s relationship and see how they deal with conflict? Read The 8th Confession. Yearning to see Lindsay settle down and enjoy domestic bliss? Try 10th Anniversary and 12th of Never. Or maybe you just want a quick refresher before diving into the newest book? Then pick up 16th Seduction. You won’t get all the inside jokes and references, but you will understand enough to get you ready for Lindsay’s newest, most insidious case. There’s really no wrong way to prepare for James Patterson’s newest installment of the Women’s Murder Club series.

Cindy Butor is currently finishing her Master’s in Library Science at the University of Kentucky. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her girlfriend Sam and their perfect, yet exacting cat Dinah. She’s a Book Riot contributor and can be found Tweeting @babble_drabble.